The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-04-30

| cIhiheltiy uuiliiH the seCOnu dnO
third periods of it, Dante's ruling
motive was, to serve his fellow
men. Though while yet young
man he had won fame and applause
as "the grand poci," this did not
satisfy hls great soul. He did not
wish to please merely: he was not
DESTROYS of being served but he
must serve. Hence his turning
away from fame in politics. And
when that door was closed, and he
was forced to exile to again take up
his pen, instead of writing in Latin
as was then the only proper thing
for great author, he wrote in the
bastard Italian of his time, that the
common people might have access
to the productss Of his genius
Once more bitter disappointment
comes in this third period, the
period of exile, poverty, and unde-
served opprobium. His absorbing
friendship for Can Grande Della
Sala, prince of Verona, perishes
when success transforms that great
warrior into a self.secking tyrant,
no longer worthy of that friendship.
Mrs. Williams's incidental analyses
of Dante's great works, the Vita
Nuora and the DiUino Commedia
were discriminating and excellent.
The portrayal of Dante's character
was, in the main, exact, and the
great Florentine seemed under the
mastery hand of the gifted lecturer
to be "clothed upon" once more with
flesh and blood, and to live before her
hearers once again his sad and
checkered life.
Were we to criticise such
fine portrayal at all, it would
be in regard to what was said of
Dante's young manhood and his
marriage. Is it true that Dante
was not in almost every respect the
superior of the other ''young
Florentines of the better class of
his day." Dante was not only a
genius, but in all respects superior.
He was superbly endowed, from his
very cradle, above his fellows.
Then, too, is there any warrant for
supposing that Dante fell in with
the "fast" life of the young Floren-
tine rakes of the "better class" who
filed her streets with, ever recurring
brawls, and her society with liaisons?
We have never heard more gra-
phic and vivid portrayal of the
uplifting Transforming, restraining
power of supreme affection" for
Il noble woman upon true man
than that which fell from Mrs.
Williams's lips last night in describ-
ing Dante's absorbing love for
Beatrice. But how old was Dante
when this absorbing passion took
possession of him? He was only
nine years Of age and Beatrice eight !?
OF the effect of that first meeting
on himself Dante tells us: cat hat
moment l saw most truly that the
spirit of life which hath its dwelling
in the secretest chambers of the
heart began to tremble so violently
that the least pulses of my body
shook Herewith; and in trembling
1t said these words, 'Ecce deus for
tior me qui veniens dominabitur
mihi. From that moment this
absorbing passion" ruled him. Is
it possible that thus ruled by this
supreme affection the naturally
noble nature of Dante could be led
into the follies and excuses of the
young Florentines Of the better
class? If Dante sowed wild oats at
all it must have been before he was
nine years Of age. And again what
was said by the lecturer in regard
to Dante's marriage with Comma
Donati, that it was marriage of
convenience and unhappy, is open
to question. In mastery article
on Dante Oscar Browning says: sit
is possible that Comma Donati is
the lady mentioned in Vito Nu0va
as sitting full of pity at her win
dow and comforting Dante for his
sorrow. There is no reason to sup
pose that she was other than good
wife, or that the union was other
wise than happy" But aside from
few such points as these Mrs.
Williams delineation of the charac-
ter and work of Dante was mas
terly one. This was the universal
verdict of those who heard her.
At the conclusion of the lecture
Mr.. Cruzan announced that a
Ladies' Class for Literary study,
to meet five Saturday mornings, had
already been formed, and would
meet Mrs. Williams at Hon. G.. r..
Bishops at 10 A. NJ. to-day; and
also that course of five evening
lectures on historical and literary
subjects is contemplated. Tickets
for each course, SO. Those who
desire to join the Ladies' Glass can
do so by applying to Mrs. VIM.
Allen; and those who are willing ia
subscribe to the course of lectures
should apply to Hon. w. II. Castle.